5 European Startups To Look Out For At SXSW 2017

What an amazing time at GirlCrew HQ. Not only is it our 3rd birthday (11th of March in case you didn’t know, which was International Women’s Day the year GirlCrew began) but the girls are heading to SXSW this week and the the much anticipated GirlCrew app is launching soon! With so much exciting news, I thought to shed some light on some incredible startups that are also making the journey to Texas to showcase their fantastic ideas.

How frustrating is it when you are heading out somewhere but cannot find a place to park. What if someone created an app to help you find the perfect spot without the fear of getting clamped? Well that is exactly what Irishman Garrett Flower did. Described as the Airbnb of car parking spaces, the company has developed an app that allows people to find spots nearby and even place their own residential spaces on the market for a fee. Garrett was pleasantly surprised how successful the app was in America. And now wants to take the app further and develop it for the Irish and UK markets. This isn’t Garrett’s first entrepreneurial idea. He also started donut company ‘Krust’ in 2012 with co-owner, Rob Kramer. The bakery is famed for bringing the ‘Cronut’ to Dublin. Garrett is appearing as a speaker at a SXSW talk called ‘Kiss me: I’m an Irish Startup!’

Swedish company Moggie, has created a smart collar and an app to help provide better care for your cat. Using algorithms, Moggie can track your cat’s daily activity, monitor its needs, analyze its behavioral patterns, and even text you when they are feeling ill or tired (wow can i get one for myself?) With a lightweight design,waterproof and has a breakaway clasp for safety should your little one get into an unequal fight with a branch or fence. It also has a two week battery life so you can still track them even if go for a stroll.

A garden that connects to your Wifi and grows fruit and vegetables? Yep, you read that right. CityCrop is an indoor garden that lets you grow pesticide free food all year long. Including an app that allows you to monitor the temperature, humidity, water, and light source, all without getting your hands dirty. The small, stackable, design allows you to place the garden anywhere conveniently in your apartment or house. You just choose which plant you want to grow, and the app automatically adapts to the right settings.

There are so many holiday websites out there, that planning a trip can be overwhelming before you’ve even decided where you want to go. Tripaya’s aim is to get rid of all that stress and help you plan your holiday by using what type of holiday you want and what your budget is. By keeping their search function simple, you just put in how much you want to spend, the type of holiday you are looking for e.g. Romance and voila, a list of affordable options. Tripaya has partnered with reputable companies such as Skyscanner and Booking.com to give customers peace of mind.

Multitasking can be such a pain. Imagine you are texting a friend and want to tell them about this great new app you just found (ahem, GirlCrew ) but you need to switch apps, Google the link, copy and paste, then send it on. Thingthing aims to get rid of all that hassle. It’s a mobile keyboard that allows you to multitask on the go. It lets users link multiple accounts for other apps and services to provide an in-keyboard shortcut when they want to check on something like their availability (via calendar integration), or grab a document (via Dropbox), or a photo (from their camera roll) Thing Thing is all about time management so no wonder it’s a big hit in America.

If all that isn’t enough the GirlCrew HQ team will also be there showcasing at EU@SXSW at the Palm Door, 508 E 6th St, if you’re in the area be sure to stop by and say hi! You can also follow us on Facebook,Instagram, and Twitter to follow all the action.